Tangula
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "one who is restless".
Name Census estimates that about 49 living Americans carry the first name Tangula. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tangula today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tangula births was 1968 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tangula. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tangula. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
49
~ 1 in 6,994,986 Americans
Peak year
1968
8 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1980 SSA rank
#11,969
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Tangula: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tangula from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 29 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tangula by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tangula during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tangula
The name Tangula is believed to have originated in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in the Indian subcontinent from around the 2nd millennium BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "tāngula," which means "a small drum" or "a tamborine." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with musicians or performers who played these percussion instruments.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Tangula can be found in the Hindu epic poem, the Mahabharata, which is dated to around the 8th century BCE. In this ancient text, Tangula is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought on the side of the Pandavas in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
In the 5th century CE, there is a record of a Buddhist monk named Tangula who traveled from India to China and is credited with translating several important Buddhist texts into Chinese. His work played a significant role in the spread of Buddhism throughout East Asia.
During the medieval period, the name Tangula appears in various historical records from the Indian subcontinent. One notable figure was Tangula Devi, a queen who ruled over the Chandela dynasty in central India during the 11th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and for commissioning the construction of several magnificent temples, including the famous Khajuraho temples.
In the 14th century, there was a Sufi saint named Tangula Shah who lived in the region of present-day Pakistan. He was revered for his spiritual teachings and is said to have performed many miracles during his lifetime.
Another important figure with the name Tangula was a 16th-century Indian musician and composer named Tangula Nayaka. He was a court musician in the Vijayanagara Empire and is credited with contributing to the development of the Carnatic music tradition.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Tangula. While the name may have its roots in ancient Sanskrit and Hindu culture, it has been used across various regions and religious traditions over the centuries.
People
Tangula + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tangula as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tangula: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tangula?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 49 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tangula going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 6,994,986 US residents.
Is Tangula a common name?
We classify Tangula as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 55 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tangula most popular?
The single biggest year for Tangula was 1968, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tangula is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tangula in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tangula a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tangula in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Tangula still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tangula in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tangula can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Tangula?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.